Combined signaling and gauging unit



NovAg 11, 1952 A. E. MATHEY 2,617,303

COMBINED SIGNALING AND GAUGING UNIT Filed Feb. 14, 195o 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Inveoi: ulwvazfd Maeg,

y a7 doczney NOV. 1l, 1952 Y A E, MATHEY 2,617,303

COMBINED SIGNALING AND GAUGING UNIT Filed Feb. 14, 195o 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 ll l a 60 /4 e! -fa vafa e? g4 aa F fa ul'dzvaaid Mag;

Ozzr' y @fwfwmd Patented Nov. 11, 1952 COMBINED SIGNALING AND GAUGING UNIT Alcide Edward- Mathey, Allston, Boston, Mass., assigner to Scully Signal Company, Cambridge,

Mass., a corporation Application February 14, 1950, Serial No. 144,125

This invention relates to a combination gauge and signaling device for use with closed tanks for liquids.

The invention has been particularly designed for use with the oval shaped tank commonly used with household heating equipment. Such tanks are customarily of about 275-gal1ons capacity, and may be positioned either vertically or horizo'ntally. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited in its use to a household uel oil tank but may, of course,y be used with any type of tank where it would be applicable. v

In the conventional installation, the tank is provided with a lill pipe through which the liquid enters and a vent pipe through which the displaced gases are vented to the atmosphere. As it is desirable to know when the tank has become substantially full during the filling operation and also to be able to determine the amount of fuel in the tank at any given time either during lling or thereafter, it has been customary heretofore to position an audible signaling device in the vent pipe so that an audible signal will be given at a predetermined point. In a separate opening in the tank top, it has heretofore also beencustomary to position a liquid level gauge. Such gauges are well known in this industry. One type comprises a swinging float arm connected to an indicator rod which extends through and above the tank top to'a visible position and is adapted to move an amount proportional to the movement of the swinging arm. In this way, an approximate indication is given as to the level of oil in the tank at any time.

In the co-pending application of Scully and Mathey, Ser. No. 83,345, filed March 25, 1945, is disclosed and claimed a new combined signaling and gauging unit in which the audible signaling device and the liquid level gauge are combined in 3 Claims. (Cl. 7S-317) a single unit. The present invention constitutes an improvement on the invention of the aforesaid application. Y

One of the disadvantages appearing in the installation, in a vertically positioned tank, of a gauge having a conventional iloat arm in which the housing supporting the several elements must be screwed into the tank top, is the impossibility of screwing the housing into position when the tank is, more or less, half full. This diiculty is caused by the fact that the swinging float arm, in practically every case, is longer than half the width oi the tank. Hence, when the gauge housing and the depending supporting arm that carries the noat arm are rotated with the tankv about half full, the float arm will engage the side of the tank and stop further rotation. Thus, when the liquid level is between determinable limits, it is impossible to screw the housing into the tank unless theiloat arm is in some manner held in up or down position. This, in practice, has proved to be somewhat difficult and time consuming. The present invention avoids this dimculty.

As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the vertical support arm thatcarries the swinging float arm and indicating rod actuated by the float arm, is constructed in a novel manner which permits the support arm and indicating rod to be deected laterally as the end of the float arm engages the side of the tank during the insertion operation. Thus, itbecomes possible to install the combined signaling and gauging unit in the tank, regardless of the liquid level therein, by merely screwing the housing into the threaded opening in the top of the tank.

The foregoing objects of the invention will become Inoreapparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section of a tank showing the signaling and gauging unit in the crosswise position it will repeatedly assume during installation as the housing is screwed into the; tank top. The tank is slightly more than half full.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal cross-section of thetank broken away in part and showing the final position of the unit after installation has been completed. The vent pipe has been attached to the housing.

Fig. 3 is a detailed vsectional elevation of the combined signaling and gauging unit showing the construction of the flexible Vertical support in greater detail,

Fig. 4' .is an enlarged detailof the hinge structure of the float arm and-indicating rod.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 with the support rod and the indicating rod in the deflected` positions shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l, there is shown in crosssection a conventional fuel oil tank 2 mounted on legs 4. The tank is broken away in part to save space in the drawings.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the same tank with the endsy broken away. In Fig. 1, the combined gauge and signaling unit indicatedat 6 is in the process of being screwed into positionin thevent opening 8, while in Fig-2 the assembly 6 is in iinal installed position, and the vent pipe I has been connected thereto.

An enlarged cross-section detailed view of the signaling unit 6 is shown in Fig. 3. The unit comprises a tubular housing I2 internally threaded at the top at I4 and externally threaded at the bottom at I6. The bottom threads are adapted to engagethe female threads of the vent opening 8, while the upper threads I4 are adapted to engage the male threads on the end of vent pipe I0.

In the interior of the housing .I2lis-.acircular seat I8 at the upper end of passage 20. A conventional button type whistle 22`having.central-v aligned openings 24 and 26 is carried'b'yv a supporting element 28 which rests on the seat I8, thus blocking the passage 20.

An intrusion tube 30 in series with the-openings 24 and 26 extends downwardly from the body 28 with its lower end terminating at the point at which it is desired to' give a.V signal as' the rising lliquid in the tank reaches that point.

In the side of intrusion tube'3 isan open vent 32 which permits continued ow of gas through the upper portion of the intrusion tube and the whistle after the lower end of the intrusion tube has been trapped by the rising liquid.y

As can be seen in Fig. 5, the lower extension of housing I2 has a somewhat thickened area at the left side as at 34 to provide `means for mounting a supporting rod 36 and fora passage 31 therethrough for anv indicating rod,V 38.

The supportingrocl-36'is-securely aflixed to the thickened extension 34-A against rotational and longitudinal movement. It extends A.downwardly therefrom to terminate .inv hinged .relation` at '40 (see Fig. 4) with a lever42 whichfinlturni has extending therefrom a float rod. 44. The iloat rod has at or close to its endaconventional oat 46 which is customarily madeof .cork tre'atedon its surface with a material-.that :will renderiti impervious to the liquidinthe tank.'y

The supporting. 1'odrl36 is constructed'tdbe flexible in alateral directionwhile'retainingitortional characteristics which will resist twistingl-to a substantial extent. Thus,.when the .housing I2 is rotated'and therend of thevfloat 'rod 44 comes in contact with one side, the continued turning of housing I2 willresult inthe .development Vof suicient pressure betweentheiend-Sof the float rod and the side of the tank to force the support-- ing rod 36 laterally asshown in Fig; l.so:that

the end of the float rod can" continue 'itsmovement alongthe side of the'tank asr the housing..

rotation is continued. Thus, the lateral exi bility of supporting rod 36 combinedzwith.l sub'- stantial resistance to -twisting makes it possible to screw the unit into thetank top regardless of One construction of the supporting'v ro`d--3l760 the level of the liquid in the tank.-

which has been found suitable toprovide the re' quired characteristic is that shown in'Figs. 1 and ilarly secured to the lower endof spring. 48.!

Since spring 48 has beentightly coiled and the individual coils lie against eachother, rotation of the upper portion U will result in 'similar rotation of the lower portion 52 with only a small y angular lag. The lateralflexibility lof spring. 481i' is considerable4 so that the supporting` rod-mayVHA easily assume the maximum deiiected position shown in Fig. 1.

It should be pointed out that the hinge 40 is of suflcient rigidity and strength to transmit the force applied without danger of damaging the hinge action between supporting rod 36 and oat rod 44.

On the side of the housing I2 are indicating tabs 54 and 56. These tabs extend in the direction normally assumed by oat rod 44 so that the installation may be completed with the float rod extending longitudinally of the tank, in which position it will be free to move up and down with the changing liquid level without possibility of hitting the tank sides.

Housing I 2 is oiset in part to provide an inner offset area 58. Through the top of the housing at 60 above the offset area is an opening 62, and at the lower side of the offset area is the other smaller opening 31 in the thickened extension 34. Through these two openings extends the upper part of the indicating rod 38 which is offset at 66 so that the upper part 68 may pass freely through opening 62. The lower end of indicating rod 38 is in hinged connection at "I0 with'the lever 42 as can be seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Obviously,v vertical swinging movement of oat rod 44 will produce a corresponding proportional vertical movement of indicating rod 38. The upper end 68 of the indicating rod is encased in a tubular housing I2 having markings thereon as at I4 for giving an indication of the existing liquid level in the tank.

Indicating rod 38 is made of thin flexible material so that it will offer but little additional resistance to the lateral deflection of rod 36 as housing I2 is rotated during installation. The extent of the bending suffered by indicating rod 38 will be within its elastic limit so that upon return of supporting rod 36 to normal Vertical position, indicating rod 33'will likewise resume its normal position.

During installation, the lateral deflection of the supporting rod 36'and indicating rod 38'may bring'them into contact with intrusion tube `30, but since this tube is carried by body 28 in a manner which permits it to swing on its seat I8, the tube may be readily deflected as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5 without in any way interfering with the installation. When the installation is complete with the parts as shown in Fig. 2, intrusion tube 30 (will. hangin its normal vertical position.

The procedure followed to install the combined gauge and signaling unit may be'summarized as follows:

The float rod is passed through'the vent opening followed byV the supporting 'ro'd' until the threads I6 engagev the threads 'on the tank. At this point, the iloat rod will'have assumed a'position Vas' determinedby'the liquid level. The housing I2 is then rotated,'screwing the'threads together. As the'end of the oat 'rod'engages one side of the tank, the supporting rod will be deflected toward the opposite side an amount suilicient to permit the-ilcat rod'to continue its movement along the'tankside'until it is clear thereof. Continued rotation of the housing I2 will bring the float rod into successive'engagements-with the tank-sides until the housing reaches nalposition-asshown in-Fig. 2.

During iilling vof 'the' tank, the displaced' gas passes tothe vent` pipe 'through intrusion tube 30 andwhistle 32 to produce a continuous audible signal. Asthe lling proceeds,the-oat 46"Will *rise-with the rising `liquidflevel togivea simultaneous visible indication, through the gauge housing 72, of the level in the tank. When the liquid nally reaches the lower end of intrusion tube 39 to cut off the ow of gas therethrough, the audible signal will be cut ofi or modified to such a degree that the operator even though unable to see the position of the gauge will be advised that the level has at least reached the lower end of the intrusion tube and that the supply should now be cut off.

Hole 32 through the side of intrusion tube 36 provides for continued ow of gas through the upper part of the tube and the whistle after the lower end of the intrusion tube has been trapped by rising liquid. Such flow will not produce a whistling sound as the gas reaches the whistle in a distorted and disturbed condition that destroys the normal resonance of the whistle.

Should the operator fail to cut oir the liquid supply in time so that overflow occurs, the whistle body will be forced upwardly from seat IS to a position against the cross bar 16 at which position the passage through and around the Whistle is substantially equal to the venting capacity of vent pipe l0. Thus, under high gas pressure or emergency overnow conditions, the whistle unit causes no undue restriction of venting.

While a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it is not intended that the invention is to be limited thereby but only by the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A gauging unit for use with a tank comprising a housing screw threaded for connection with the tank top, a passage through said housing, a supporting rod depending from and Xed against rotation with respect to said housing, a float rod with a float thereon pivotally related to said supporting rod, an indicating rod pivotally related to said iloat rod and extending upwardly through said housing, said supporting rod including as a part thereof a tightly coiled spring so that it will be deflected laterally when said housing is rotated to cause corresponding rotation of said supporting rod and said oat rod and the end of said float rod is engaged at an angle by a vertical surface.

2. A gauging unit for use with a tank comprising a housing screw threaded for connection with the tank top, a passage through said housing, a supporting rod depending from and fixed against rotation with respect to said housing, a float rod with a float thereon pivotally related to said supporting rod, an indicating rod pivotally related to said float rod and extending upwardly through said housing, said supporting rod and indicating rod both being suiciently iiexible laterally and said supporting rod being sui'liciently resistant to torsional forces so that said supporting rod and indicating rod will be deected laterally when said housing is rotated to cause corresponding rotation of said supporting rod and said float rod, and the end of said float rod is engaged at an angle by a vertical surface.

3. A gauging unit for use with a tank oomprising a tubular housing having a screw threaded extension for connection with the tank top, the passage through said extension being nonconcentric to provide a thickened wall on one side of said extension, a supporting rod depending from and xed against rotation with respect to the thickened wall, a float rod pivotally related to said supporting rod, an indicating rod pivotally related to said iloat rod and extending upwardly through an opening in said thickened wall, said supporting rod being sufciently flexible to be bent laterally until in engagement with the side of the tank with which it will be used without exceeding the elastic limit of said supporting rod.

ALCIDE EDWARD MATHEY.

REFERENCES CTED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,316,377 Wilhelm Apr. 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,805 Great Britain 1904 27,970 France June 24, 1924 (Addition to No. 566,328) 628,151 France June 21, 1927 

